Politics, family mix in Toledo judge race

... and Larry Kaczala says he's staying out of it -- not the race, just the brouhaha over relationships.

TOLEDO -- Voters will have plenty of decisions to make at the ballot box on Nov. 6, including the race for Toledo Municipal Court Judge. The race is a little more interesting than usual, reports News 11's Shelley Brown who spoke with the candidates on Wednesday.

Jim Bishop and Mike Goulding are related -- through marriage. "He's an in-law; we're married to sisters," Goulding explains.

But for now until election day, they're also political opponents.

"You can probably appreciate the shocking nature of this to the family," Goulding says.

Goulding, 40, is the father of one with another one on the way. Bishop is a 54-year-old father of five. They're in a three-way race for Toledo Municipal Court Judge with former Lucas County auditor Larry Kaczala.

Goulding already serves on the bench; he was appointed by former Governor Taft last year. "Bob Taft did one thing right," he says about that decision.

So it was natural for Goulding -- a former attorney and law partner -- to run. As for one of his opponents?

"I'm puzzled that he would decide to put politics above family. It's not something I would have done if the tables were turned. But Jim's doing what he thinks he has to do, I guess," Goulding says, adding that he learned his in-law was running in the newspaper.

Not exactly right, Bishop says. "Mike Goulding and I many months ago had that discussion, and it was my understanding he didn't have a problem with it."

Bishop, an assistant law director for the City of Toledo, an attorney for nearly 30 years and a judge with the Navy Marine Corps court of Criminal Appeals, says the Democratic Party "placed him" in the race.

He also says he talked about his decision to run with his mother-in-law. "My mother-in-law and I had this discussion, and I think she understood that if you have one son that goes to The Ohio State University, one son that goes to the University of Michigan you have to have them both show up for the big game," Bishop said.

Larry Kaczala, was Lucas County auditor for 14 years and has 23 years of experience as an attorney. We asked him his thoughts on the Bishop-Goulding relationship: "It's between them. It really doesn't affect me. I know they're brothers-in-law although I know Jim says he's not; he sort of explains it that they're married to sisters."

We'll have complete coverage of this race and others for Campaign '07.

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